Why Sehwag Skipped Kohli in IPL 2008 and How It Changed IPL History

After winning the Under-19 World Cup as the captain of the Indian cricket team, Kohli had a demand among the teams ahead of the inaugural IPL season. But what if we told you that Delhi Daredevils had a chance to get VK to their team in the inaugural season, and the chance was not used by the team. Recently, the former Indian player and Delhi’s captain, Virender Sehwag, revealed the reasons behind the same, as he revisited the incident, his explanation, and how this changed the IPL.

Why Sehwag Let Kohli Go to RCB

Virat Kohli, who is now a star for the Indian cricket team, known for his impressive batting skills even in pressure situations, marked his name after winning the ICC Under-19 World Cup 2008. With his captaincy skills, India Under-19 was able to defeat South Africa Under-19 in the finals and get their second title. At this time, the Indian Premier League was also about to commence, and all eight teams had to make their picks among the players of the Under-19 World Cup-winning team.

Delhi Daredevils were also in the spotlight, and it was expected that they would sign the local boy, Virat Kohli, who was already being targeted by various teams. But when the team lists were revealed, Kohli was not there for the Delhi Daredevils and was picked by the Royal Challengers Bangalore. This came out to be a shock to all the cricket enthusiasts, as they expected him to be a part of DD, which was captained by Virender Sehwag at that time.

Pradeep Sangwan was picked by Delhi Daredevils during the IPL 2008 draft, and the team did not go for the Under-19 World Cup-winning captain, Virat Kohli. This move is still being regarded as one of the biggest “What If?” moments in IPL history, which remained a question among the fans and analysts for a long time. However, the questions regarding the same were answered by the former captain of the team, Virender Sehwag.

In a recent interview with Cricbuzz, Sehwag was questioned about not picking Kohli in Delhi’s franchise for the IPL 2008 season. To this, he said:

I was the captain who didn’t pick Virat Kohli, and chose Pradeep Sangwan. He wasn’t even on the auction table. We already had — I was there, Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, Dilshan — we had so many top-order openers. Then there was AB de Villiers too. So we already had a lot of batsmen, but we didn’t have bowlers. Our thinking was, let’s pick a bowler, and a left-arm one to bring some variety. So maybe that was a good choice — Mahesh and Pradeep Sangwan, these were two young bowlers at the time. In the first three years we played, both of them did well for us.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) bagged Kohli for just ₹12 lakh — a move that would go on to be one of the smartest acquisitions in IPL history. This missed opportunity for Delhi turned out to be a defining moment for RCB. While Delhi continued to struggle with consistency, RCB built their brand around Kohli, who eventually became their captain, run machine, and face of the franchise for over a decade.

Kohli in IPL: From Rookie to Run-Machine

Virat Kohli, who started off in the IPL as a rookie, is now a reason why most of the fans tune into the games and watch them with excitement. Getting a player like King Kohli for just 12 lakh INR during the IPL 2008 auction was one of the best decisions made by the RCB franchise, which defined the team’s IPL journey throughout. Although he didn’t have a good start to the IPL 2008 season, scoring 165 runs only at an average of 15, his improvements were impressive.

Later, Virat Kohli also went on to lead Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL and captained the team till the IPL 2021 edition. One of the most remarkable seasons for him as a captain and player was the 2016 edition, where RCB reached the tournament finals but lost by a small margin to Sunrisers Hyderabad, missing out on the title. What’s more for Kohli is that he scored 973 runs in the season (highest by an individual), including 4 centuries and 7 half-centuries.

As of now, Virat Kohli has been the top-class batsman for the Royal Challengers Bangalore, having an impressive tally of more than 8500 runs, the most number of centuries in the IPL, the most 500+ runs in an IPL season, and much more. Besides that, his consistency also continues for the team, as he has already scored 7 half-centuries in the current season. His on-field presence and the desire to lift the IPL trophy with RCB still remain at the top.

Kohli’s IPL legacy is more than just runs — it’s about inspiration, belief, and setting the gold standard for professionalism in franchise cricket. From being passed over by his hometown team in 2008 to becoming the face of one of the biggest franchises in IPL history, Kohli’s IPL journey is a testament to how one decision can change the course of cricketing destiny.

How One Decision Defined Two Franchises

The decision taken by Virender Sehwag and Delhi Daredevils during the IPL 2008 edition was able to define both RCB and Delhi Capitals franchises, respectively. With the inclusion of King Kohli, Royal Challengers Bengaluru has been one of the most dominant teams in the IPL lately, and his legacy has also helped the team to become one of the most popular IPL teams so far. On the other hand, Delhi Capitals still struggle to bring out performances matching RCB, which could make the team owners think of the day when they rejected having Kohli.